Pages

Saturday, July 26, 2014

1 Racing Mind 2014 Formula 1 Mid-Season Report: Sauber

Photo Credit: Sauber Motorsport AG

Sauber

Team Score: D
Esteban Gutierrez : D+

Adrian Sutil: C-

In past years, Sauber has made the most
of being an underdog team. In 2014, the team is floundering during
race events. Buried at the lower half of the Formula 1 grid, Sauber
is one of two teams lacking constructors' points. Ten team
retirements of race vehicles has contributed to miserable season for
the Ferrari-powered Sauber. While the Ferrari power unit has been the
result of a few retirements, several collisions have also led to the
Sauber's finishing low on the grid at the end of grand prix race
weekends.

Mexican driver Esteban Gutierrez is
engaged in his second season with the Sauber operation. The 2010 GP3
Series champion has qualified decently but has not been able to mount
quality race finishes largely due to five DNFs. After several
respectable seasons with Force India, Adrian Sutil joined Sauber in
2014 apperently expecting he can perform like Sergio Perez and Nico
Hulkenberg did with the team in previous years. Just missing out on a
championship point in his first race, Sutil is endured a non-point
scoring season almost identical to Gutierrez.

Ingredients for Second-Half of 2014:
When you're a non-scoring team in Formula 1, the problems appear simple but any fix can prove exceptionally difficult. The 2014 Formula 1 season has been a tough struggle for
Ferrari-engined race machines. The only way to improve the
performance of the Sauber team will depend largely on bettering
reliability and finding more speed.